Lover: Sick for You
by Soujirouka
Summary: AU. Born as twin sisters, but maybe not so sisterly after all...Chikane has been working hard, but Himeko has developed...a peculiar illness. What is causing it? Why does it hurt her so much for them to be apart? Only Chikane relieves the pain she feels inside... Wincest. Updates are unscheduled, but assured till the end.
1. Chapter 1

Kannazuki no Miko and all of its related characters, places, etc., are copyright to...whomever actually owns them...which is not me. Sadly.

Seriously not mine, though I wish it was. Okay we're all cool.

**_"All great and beautiful work has come of first gazing without shrinking into the darkness."_** ~John Ruskin

Chikane glanced exhaustedly at the beautiful ivory wristwatch that hung delicately from her thin wrist. Nine forty one. Pm… "_Oh gods I'm in for it now."_ She thought to herself nervously. She had promised Himeko earlier thatweek that she would be sure not to overwork herself; that she would be home for dinner at night. "Especially tonight… "_How am I going to explain this?" _ She thought with a resigned sigh, throwing a mental glance at the paperwork she had just left behind in the lonely classroom. Her heart stuck quickly in her chest when she did a double take at the miniature clock on her wrist, fumbling with the strap. "NINE-FORTY ONE!? She's going to kill me this time!" The gravity of her grave error hit her like a truck. Chikane grabbed her small blue sports bag out of her locker as she ran by, barely remembering to close it and turn the lights off. As she rushed out of the door of the school leading down and off the grounds, she quickly remembered that she was supposed to lock it up after she had left. Groaning at how things were slipping in her mind in her haste, she stopped in her stride and rushed back to lock the glass door, cursing how the small brass key seemed so very unwieldy and awkward when attempting to be put in the lock. Now quickly back on her way she began trying to think of any reasons or ways she could try to justify her tardiness to her blonde sister, who right now was surely at home in the kitchen fretting over why her raven haired twin was so very, very late…over two hours late…

The worst part to Chikane was that the girl waiting anxiously back at home for her probably wasn't angry in the slightest, but rather, worried that something had happened to her. Gods she was awful.

"_Now I've not only ruined our dinner date, she's probably worried sick about me too." _She mused dejectedly. Chikane quickly pulled herself out of her thoughts and hurried down to the bus stop. Hopefully the one is running late tonight she thought desperately, running down the slate-gray sidewalk in what was almost panic, yet retaining a grace to her stride. Her honest-to-death blonde sister often complimented her on such things, saying that she always seemed like a princess, no matter what the situation or how stressed she was. But being reminded of her twin's adoration and praise made her only feel all the worse. She quickened her pace, and to her absolute relief, saw bus headlights growing slowly larger in the darkness.

Chikane slowed to a gentle walk as she went up the stone laid path leading to the front door of her family's house. There were vibrant hedges on either side of the walkway, and as you approached the front door, flowers bloomed from everywhere in the garden lovingly tended in the front of the otherwise unassuming house. Himeko and Chikane had helped their mother plant the garden many years ago, but as Chikane had become more involved with such things as school and the like, she found herself with less and less time to enjoy it with her family than she used to. She reached the front of their house just as she snapped back from her nostalgia, but stopped, realizing that she hadn't actually come to any real solution to her mistake. She had planned to say something encouraging while at the same time distracting to her sister after she announced her presence, but anything she had thought of on her way there was now just a haze of excuse. She reached out and slid open the wood paper door carefully, but deliberately and surely as she stepped inside the darkened welcome area of her house.

The girl with raven blue hair slipped off her shoes deftly and put on her house slippers gently and called out into the house "Tadaima!" then mentally, emotionally, and physically braced herself for what she knew was about to happen. It took just an instant for her voice to ring through the walls of the house, but then she heard it; a small unsuppressed gasp, followed by the scratch of a kitchen chair being knocked over, followed by another loud thump which the slender beauty assumed was her sister tripping and falling over herself in a hurry. At the same time she noticed that the only lights on were coming from the kitchen and dining room area, which was the same place the noises originated from. As she turned the corner into the room, Chikane's thin frame was immediately sundered by the force of typically gentle arms wrapping around her neck and a feminine body colliding against her own with a fury. All she had time to see and process was a flashing whip of lustrous blonde hair racing at her chest as she was practically tackled to the ground by her sister's enthusiastic embrace, or at least that's where they ended up anyway. She struggled to keep her balance as the younger girl's mass plowed through her center of gravity, but ultimately failed. Chikane was forced to embrace the other girl back, and fell backward to the floor with the blonde still grasping her tightly and attempting what seemed to be trying to meld her face and head into her big sister's chest cavity.

"Chikane-oneechan!" The blonde cried out. "What happened? Where were you? Why are you home so late? Did something happen on your way back!? Are you alright? I missed you so much! Onee-chan! Chikane!" She practically sobbed her inquiry into her sister's shirt. She was almost crying and in-between each question she gasped and struggled to squeeze Chikane even tighter than she already was. The older girl didn't know how her younger sister was able to find time to breath.

She felt a little bit of relief that her adorable little sister was concerned for her, rather than mad, but then the blonde released her vice-grip and looked up into her sister's face, like a puppy whose owner had just returned. Any scrap of relief the slender girl had felt was gone, instantly replaced with crushing guilt and penance. Her cute little sister's face was reddened with anxious worry and her questioning eyes were glistening wet and threatened their release. Her usually gorgeous hair was astray from their short "struggle," and her luscious bottom lip quivered ever so slightly, awaiting answers to the questions… … … … … …

It was almost more than Chikane could possibly bear at once. She tore her gaze from the drops of amethyst in her sister's eyes staring at her and turned her head to the side, and with a weak smile she offered "Sorry I'm late."

She had meant it to sound like a sort of joke, but it ended up coming out as more of a question; she was so ashamed to have caused her twin such obvious anxiety that she couldn't bear to look into her loving face anymore, because it made her hurt too much inside.

But Himeko was having none of that. She needed to know _now_ what had caused her onee-chan to be so late and if she was alright.

What if something bad did happen?

"Ne, Chikane-chan, are you alright?" She asked quietly but still concerned, though she had calmed herself from her hysterics. Her sister turned her head away, not looking at her still. Himeko's heart was churning, and she needed to know. She straddling her elder sister's legs on the wood floor, although neither of them really noticed at this point, and the young blonde slowly lifted her hands to either side of her twin's face and gently guided it back towards her own so that they were looking at each other again. She gazed into the cerulean pools of her sister's eyes in front of her own and she was about to ask again why her sister looked so upset, but then a thought came to her. A slightly unpleasant one. Chikane didn't look sad; no that wasn't a sad face, but rather she had that look she gets when she feels guilty about something. "_Typically something related to me" _Himeko thought worriedly. Upon further inspection of her sister's face, and the lack of her usual response, she came to a realization, and then she glanced away and back to the blue eyes. She started again in a smaller voice.

"You weren't…at the school working were you? Chikane-chan?" by this point she had more or less figured it out, but she didn't want to hear it anyway.

"You didn't forget…did you?" she asked even softer and more timidly. Then her twin suddenly looked up with a look of passion on her features. "Of course not Himeko! I could never forget! I was just—I didn't—I was going to come straight home but I just got caught up in work and time slipped away from me I swear!" she cried in response. The blonde haired angel straddling her legs looked back at her with a face of mild relief at first, but suddenly rearranged itself, and a strange expression appeared on her face; one that Chikane had seen only rarely in her life, but more frequently as of the past few months. Her little sister's face lit up with some kind of relief, but at the same time it seemed like she was fighting back pain. The girl on her lap lowered her head gently; resting it on Chikane's right shoulder and wrapping her arms around her body, and began gently nuzzling her neck with her nose in a gesture of security.

Chikane fought back a twitch.

Her sister whispered against her vulnerable skin in a pained voice, laced with emotion that Chikane could practically feel.

"I missed you…" she began. "I haven't seen you in two-and-a-half days, and then you were so late…" Chikane winced at her last words. "I know, and I'm sorry Himeko. I'm so sorry." The younger girl straightened back up and faced her sister, glancing back and forth between her face and the floor repeatedly. She spoke again, with another tone Chikane couldn't quite place.

"I've been…feeling it onee-chan…feeling sick again these past couple days Chikane-chan," she said quietly, laying her head back on her twin's shoulder. "I was getting scared…it hurts…" It tore Chikane apart to hear her precious sister recall her pain, and she wrapped her arms around the younger girl and pulled her close, and began to soothingly stroke her golden hair, trying to let her forget her mysterious illness.

This is my first shot at a KnM story, and I found it quite an entertaining experience. Special thanks to Obsidan and Cobalt, DezoPenguin, To. you-From. Me, Mugen no Koi, who I find are all fantastic writers and inspiration for me to start writing. So read it. Review it. Like it. Hate it. Whatever. I want to update this as much and as fast as I can, and if you think of something you might want to happen, go ahead and mention it. Oh and I will be posting further stories, so keep an eye out.

Make peace.

/Souji/


	2. Chapter 2

_**"After you find out all the things that can go wrong, your life becomes less about living and more about waiting."**_

Himeko wrung the tablecloth in front of her. She balked her hands into small fists and her delicate jaw line was creased in a constant clench of anxiety. She wouldn't look. Chikane wasn't home yet, and she was late. _Very, late._ Himeko had made a small promise to herself that she trusted Chikane and knew that she probably had a good reason for being...two hours late. "_She can take care of herself, unlike me_" she said aloud in her mind. She promised herself that she would not look at the clock hanging in the kitchen until Chikane got home. But your mind has a devious and slippery way of compromising itself, and just as Himeko was steeling herself against glancing at the time, she found herself slowly tilting her head to do just that. "_Damnit"_ she thought, for breaking her own rule. The clock read 10:08. "DAMNIT", she thought even louder, at the fact that her sister was still not home. But she wasn't worried anymore. Not nervous. She was getting frantic.

* * *

Himeko had decided moments ago to spend her time more wisely while she was waiting for, or more like enduring, her sister's return; so she started pacing meaninglessly back and forth across the wooden floor. After about thirty and a half seconds of that, she concluded that it was, in fact, better to just sit down and wait. Just as she had sat back down at the table and rested her face in her soft palms, she heard the most familiar voice in the world echo through the house.

"Tadaima!" Himeko gasped aloud. _'I didn't even hear her come in!'_ Himeko realized in amazement. Practically at the same instant the melodious sound of her twin's beautiful voice reached her ears; she was already launched out of her chair, not caring for the fact that it toppled over and slid a bit over the floor. She had gotten up in such a hurry and was racing towards the door, and adding that on top of being naturally clumsy, she tripped over herself on the way with a *thump*. Her heart was pounding with fervor, and she cursed the human body for not being able to move faster; to allow her to see her sister quicker. She had been awaiting her arrival for hours; she had gotten home much earlier and already made the preparations for their dinner date at home that night in advance, but now that Chikane was actually home, the seconds away from her beloved twin seemed scrutinizing. It was at that moment that Chikane had taken a step to the corner of the wall and a lock of her raven hair swayed into the room just before she did, but Himeko saw this and lunged at the space where she knew its source would be in the next instant. Surprisingly enough, Himeko judged the timing flawlessly and her body collided with the one that had stepped just around the corner at the apex of her leap. She wrapped her outstretched arms round her sister's neck as soon as they made contact, and tried with all her might to sink her face as close into her sister's torso as she could, never relinquishing her grip. Obviously Chikane hadn't prepared herself adequately enough for her sneak attack because she fell down with her, but Himeko didn't care. She was simply ecstatic that her sister was home without any apparent harm done. She at once burst into a volley of questions concerning Chikane's health and recent whereabouts in a frenzied tone. Chikane had been on a school council trip for the past two days, and they'd concluded the trip with a meeting earlier that night to finish some work, the remainder of which Chikane had taken upon herself to finish that night. Needless to say, when Himeko had heard Chikane's reason for being so late, she was somewhat disappointed in her sister for once again  
taking so much upon herself, even though it really wasn't her responsibility alone. But then, she had always been like that ever since Himeko could remember. After Chikane had arrived, and their excited reunion was over, Himeko had already forgiven her sister's mistake, although she knew that her beautiful elder sister still felt terrible about it. She could tell just by looking at her twin's body language that she was still beating herself up over earlier that night. Her smiles never quite reached all the way to her eyes, and Himeko could sense the difference in atmosphere. Despite the fact that  
she had told Chikane that she wasn't really that upset about it, she wouldn't listen to her younger sister's forgiving words; she would brood over such things for hours, insisting that she was just a  
selfish person and how she didn't deserve to have such a kind-hearted and loving little sister. Himeko didn't think of herself as an especially kind person; she simply couldn't hold anything against her sister for very long, if at all. Besides, when Chikane felt bad, she felt a sadness in her heart; a trembling inside that made her want to be there and comfort her twin, to hold her close and tell her that everything was alright.

_That she doesn't have to be sad anymore._

Sometimes Himeko felt like her sister was keeping something inside bottled up; a deeper distress that surfaced only rarely, when she was feeling regret and saying these horrible things; that she didn't deserve all the love that Himeko wanted to give away. That she _had_to give.

For as long as Himeko could remember, she had looked up to her beautiful older sister as an image of perfection. But not in the way that other people saw her. Others saw her as the perfect student. The perfect athlete. The perfect beauty. Not Himeko. While it was true that she acknowledged Chikane as all of these things, and had great admiration for these achievements, she saw her twin sister as just that. Her sister. A sister that was perfectly kind, who cared for her more than anything. A perfect protector. That is why Himeko couldn't bear to hear her sister refuse her forgiveness. To refuse her love. Why couldn't she see that her younger sister adored her far too greatly to care about such trivial things? In a sense, Himeko felt that _she_ was the selfish one; because caring for her older sister just made her happy. Happier than anything in world. It hurt her to have such love, love for someone who thought they did not deserve it, go to waste.

* * *

They had completed their dinner date, although a bit later than intended, which went fine after the mood had returned to a calm relaxed meal, the both of them already reconciled and content with the fact that they were now together after Chikane's long trip. She was actually very hungry when she had gotten home, due to the fact that she had skipped a meal on the last neck of her trip back, and then gone for hours without eating. She spent much of the time simply eating in a ravenous, yet polite manner, only stopping to take a drink and compliment Himeko on her cooking four different times. Himeko ate quietly, taking dainty nibbles at her food, because she had spent most of the time just staring and watching her sister eat. She didn't really know why, but she felt so very complete simply sitting at dinner with her blue haired twin, watching her eat the food she had prepared herself, and hearing her praise her for it. More than once during the meal she had broken out into a bright smile and giggled with joy at this thought and her sister had asked her what was the matter, but Himeko just blushed and said it was nothing. When they had finished, Himeko went to go clean up all the dishes and to begin cleaning the kitchen in general, but as she stood up and turned around to start her tasks, she heard the sound of movement behind her. She was about to turn and see what her sister was doing, but before she could, she was being embraced by her twin from behind, laying her face into the back of her neck against the soft golden curls. Himeko was just a bit surprised from the suddenness. "Chikane-chan?" she asked in curiosity. They stood there for a moment, the raven beauty simply standing behind with her arms wrapped tight around her sister. And after a while-

"Himeko...I-"

But the younger girl had spun around to face the elder one, who had just been about to start her umpteenth apology of the night, and quickly placed her finger on her sister's pink lips to stop her words. Chikane looked up at her younger sister for an instant with a look like she was going to start again, but Himeko stopped her before she could begin. "Hi-" was all she managed before the blonde placed her other hand on her shoulder and pressed her finger a little more firmly against her sister's insistence. "O no, I don't want to hear one more word," she interrupted with the pretense of mock anger. "If you say ' I'm sorry ' one more time, I'll give you something to be sorry about!" she said with another mocking pout on her face. Chikane was about to press the matter further, but was once again foiled in her efforts. This time, Himeko slowly removed her finger from her twin's lips, and hugged her front, laying the side of her face against her chest and gently wrapping her body. Chikane lost her words, and tentatively returned her sister's embrace.

"Why do you do this?" Himeko whispered against her sister's heart. "I already told you, silly Onee-chan. I don't care about that. All I care about is that you're finally home. Why can't you accept that? Why don't you believe that I've already forgiven you before you even asked me to?" Chikane was about to reply, but Himeko continued. "There's nothing you can be, nothing that you can say, nothing you can do to me that I won't forgive. Because I know that you would never hurt me on purpose; that you only work so hard because you're a strong person.  
Understand? I don't say it because I'm kind...I do it because I love you."

She ended her speech, and took a deep breathe, but at the same time, she felt her sister's chest shuddering; slowly at first but then growing in magnitude.  
As Chikane listened to her sister finish her last sentence, she began to break. She couldn't stand the effect that her sister's loving words had over her, and she felt her eyes begin to shimmer as tears formed and began streaming down her face. Himeko looked up at her with a gentle smile, and then placed her hand behind her older sister's neck and brought her head down to rest on her shoulder. Chikane heard those words echo through her mind as her sister pulled  
her close; those syllables resounding like a shrine bell, reverberating and repeating themselves over and over again.  
"I do it...because I love you...because I love you...love you...because I...I do...love you..."

And that was it. The dams restraining her emotions burst at their seams and the tears came pouring out. She cried openly into her sister's shoulder and clung to her shirt, sobs racking her frame as her twin gently caressed her back and stroked her long raven hair tenderly, the pain Himeko had been feeling earlier that evening now nothing but a fleeting memory.

* * *

Make peace

/Souji/


	3. Chapter 3

**_"The most terrible poverty is loneliness; the feeling of being unloved."_**

_~Earlier~_

Hiroshi Himemiya had been working on his latest project for over three months, and he had finally made a small breakthrough in his research. He was a scientist; a botanist to be more precise, and he had been working together with a close friend he met through his studies on a certain unusual plant species that had been recently discovered in Europe. Hiroshi was a man of quite upstanding character; he was dedicated in his work and believed firmly that a person should always  
seek justice and fairness in all ordeals. He loved his family as a husband and father; however he sometimes got over involved in his work, something for which his wife, Kazue, constantly teased him about. Perhaps it was where Chikane got her personality from. Kazue Himemiya was an elegant woman; not strikingly beautiful in the way her eldest daughter came across as, but if you looked at her for more than a glance, you could definitely tell where her daughter got her looks from. Himeko looked a bit more like her father than Chikane did, mostly because of the blonde hair surprisingly. The rather unusual coloring was evidently passed on to his younger daughter, although Hiroshi's was now tinted with greying-blonde streaks, whereas his daughter's was still radiantly gold. Himeko also seemed to inherit more of her personality from her mother's genes. Both of them more openly bright yet soft spoken, while Chikane resembled her father more in her passion and vigor. Now, Hiroshi was first and foremost a scientist of botany and biology, however he worked closely with others in the field of medicines. And that was exactly why he had transferred to Europe for his work. He had been most intrigued at the discovery of this new plant species, and began researching it immediately. In addition to valuable data he had gained, scientists and doctors from many countries had taken an interest in it as well, and it was not long before they began running experiments on any useful properties it may contain. Hiroshi Himemiya had been offered a great opportunity to be an additional expert during the observation of these tests, and so he had taken up the chance. Regrettably, he had to fly all the way to London to where the central research was being conducted and was hesitant to leave his family for such an extended time, but Kazue said she understood how important it was and that she supported him all the way. Chikane and Himeko also knew that their father was a hardworking man, and that he deserved such a great chance to pursue his career. They all accompanied him to the airport, but as his flight was called to board, well...Himeko got just a little emotional to say the least. He had left them with a great big smile, saying it had to last them for a little while, and they wished him farewell. Kazue Himemiya ran her own small health business from an office in the business district of Mahoroba, simply because she disdained the idea of simply sitting at home alone during the day. She was quite an  
energetic woman for one so serene, so it was not uncommon for her to lead health groups and training camps throughout the year for people looking to stay fit. At the moment with her father in Europe for work, her mother out leading one such camp, and her twin sister at a swimming tournament, Himeko found herself alone in her house, cooking dinner for one. If there were only a few things she was good at; one was cooking, and the other was art. She loved drawing and painting and photography as much as anything else in the world. Well, all but one thing. She also enjoyed cooking and loved doing it for her family. If there was one thing she was terrible at; it was being alone.

And she felt so very, very alone that night.

It wasn't uncommon for her to have to stay home and take care of herself for maybe a day or two; her family was quite busy. However, it was one of the first times she was going to be by herself for almost a whole week. Her mother would be gone in the country for six days, and Chikane would be gone for more, if she excelled in the tournament. And who was she kidding; Chikane excelled in every tournament. Her elder sister had asked her before she left earlier that week if she would be alright by herself for the duration, and Himeko assured her that she would be just fine. She would be perfectly fine...  
But the truth was she was not fine. Kazue had scheduled her trip before the swimming tournament, so she couldn't cancel it. Himeko knew though that if she had showed any hint of discomfort at the thought of being alone, her sister may very well have declined her position on  
the team to stay with her. She was always so protective of her little sister, but Himeko knew that she was just a burden on her older twin's shoulders. She had promised herself way back when that she would try not to be a hindrance to Chikane, and so she had insisted that her sister go to the tournament. Chikane still seemed unsure about it then, but Himeko summoned up her brightest smile and told her that she didn't need to worry about her...that she would be okay on her own for the time.

* * *

Himeko was regretting her selfless decision immensely. Being alone in her house night after night without her sister there was really beginning to upset her. It wasn't that she was afraid of anything; she was a big girl and she honestly could take care of herself, physically anyway. She simply hated being apart from her family for so long, especially Chikane, whom she had been with since birth, and had always had trouble being apart from. Himeko decided it was time for her to go to bed, though she dreaded every following night she would be alone. She opened the door to the room that she and Chikane shared, and simply stood in the doorway for a moment, looking around on the darkness. She took a few steps into the middle of the room, paused, and then satisfied with whatever she had been thinking about, began to undress to go to sleep. She slowly began shedding the fabrics that she had worn through the day, until she was standing alone in the darkness in just her undergarments. As she put the clothes she had removed into a pile to go into the laundry, she looked out the lone window of the room, into the cloudy night sky. Only the dim grey illumination that permeated the clouds reached the bedroom, and cloaked Himeko in vague shadows. She turned away, and reached for the nightgown lying near her bed, sliding into it like she did every night. Himeko appreciated the familiarity of the silky feel of the vestment. It was made of a light, pink material that was extremely comfortable, but the reason Himeko really liked it was because of the fact that Chikane had one just like it. Well, almost identical. In truth when they had bought them, Chikane had had to get hers resized to fit her...more generous of areas. Also, her twin's gown was a pale lavender shade of purple, which Himeko had told her sister looked ridiculously beautiful on her. Thinking back, Himeko recalled that it was one of the only times she had seen her twin blush in front of her. She smiled a little in the darkness of the room, thinking of how Chikane seemed to make anything she wore absolutely stunning, and how cute she looked with her face all red in embarrassment.  
Now, lying on her bed trying to fall asleep while thinking of these things, all of it seemed to suddenly come crashing down as a jabbing reminder that she was alone. She felt her heart slowly begin to clench and twist in her chest, knowing that her sister, her precious guardian, had not wished her goodnight for a fourth night in a row. She knew that it was somewhat childish for her to feel uneasy just because she did not hear those words at night, but it came to her as such a security to know that her sister was there in the room, almost protecting her. But now, alone, Himeko was beginning to feel sadness overwhelm her, and felt almost faint; although she was lying in bed she started to feel dizzy and her ribcage continued throbbing against her heart. The room felt oppressively empty, and she felt a dull wave of despair wash over her heart. The muscle in her chest was working itself up, pumping blood faster than it should, and an aching pain was resonating from it. This had never happened to her before; she never felt so abandoned. She curled into a ball on her mattress, hoping the sensation would pass, or that it was all just a terribly physical dream, that Chikane would open her door and come hold her in her arms, making the pain go away. But it didn't. She didn't.

Himeko lay on her bed with her heart paralyzed by a strange longing ache. The entire experience was such a blast of emotional pain that had suddenly manifested, that Himeko began to feel her breaths turning to gasps in her throat, and tears started in thin rivulets down her cheeks. She tried to stop herself from crying, but for some reason the tears just wouldn't stop. She wanted to talk to Chikane, to hear her; she almost started to call Chikane on her cell phone just to listen to her sister's voice, but stopped herself because it was already late at night, and she knew that it would just trouble her sister if she answered and all she heard was her crying. So she fought back the urge. It did little to pacify her emotional overflow though. Catching a few breaths in between sobs, the blonde girl climbed out of her bed, trying desperately to think of some way to calm herself and ease the pain in her heart. But just as she stood up, she felt her legs tremble and go weak, and she stumbled across the small room and collapsed on the other bed against the opposing wall. The bed that her sister should have been in. All of the sudden she felt an enormous flood of comfort and safety wash through her and she nestled herself deeper into the covers of her sister's bed. She inhaled deeply and smelled her twin's scent; familiar and engulfing her senses. Himeko honestly couldn't place a name with the aroma; it was gentle and sweet, but otherwise indescribable. She suddenly felt the great need to be utterly surrounded with the fragrance; the intoxicating perfume that permeated due to countless nights her sister had spent in the bed Himeko was now lying in. She breathed it in, again and again. She couldn't remember ever feeling such an overwhelming maelstrom of emotion before; her heart still ached, but the comfort of Chikane's essence helped to quiet her mind, while at the same time she felt a narcotic, addictive sensation wash through her.  
She wanted to feel more of it; she sat up and wrested herself free of her nightgown's embrace. She pulled the hem of it over her head and slipped her arms out, not even bothering to undo the buttons on it. Just as she did, a beam of ethereal moonlight shone through a gap in  
the clouds and bathed the room in its bright illumination. Shadows splayed across Himeko's soft skin as she melded herself into the sheets that bore her sister's precious scent. Unsatisfied though, she twisted and tossed in only her bra and panties trying to breathe her sister's essence until finally, she removed the rest of her garments and finally settled into her twin's bed, completely naked. With her pulse slowing to normality, and her breaths reaching a typical rhythm, until she finally drifted into a somewhat calmer slumber.

Far away from the lonely room where the girl slept, a silver moon kept its vigil, beams of leftover sun turning through the window.

Make peace

/Souji/


	4. Chapter 4

**_"Love, when you beome too sick without it, changes from the cure to the drug itself" _**_~Souji_

_(Present)_

Chikane laid her head into her sister's shoulder and clung to her shirt, eyes shut against her tears as her twin gently caressed her back and stroked her long raven hair tenderly, the pain she had been feeling earlier that evening now nothing but a fleeting memory.

"Ne, Chikane-chan" Himeko offered softly, holding her sister's face gently in her hands and tipping it up to look at her eyes. They had always astonished her; Chikane's eyes must have been polished from blue sapphires, and they typically sparkled with a humble confidence.  
Right then, as Himeko gazed into the cerulean orbs, they were shimmering with their recent tears, and Chikane tried to look away at the ground, but Himeko still had her hands on either of her cheeks. She didn't quite realize just how intently she had been looking into her sister's eyes, until her blue haired twin gave a shy smile and spoke up.

"Um Himeko, why are you looking at me like that?" She blushed a little bit as she asked the question, her blonde twin's earnest gaze flickering over her face. Fetched out of her reverie by the sound of her sister's sweet voice, she realized that she had been staring a little too long, and upon seeing Chikane's cheeks slightly darkened by a pink blush, she took a small step back and did the same, although hers was several shades deeper. "Oh um—it's nothing...really. Your eyes are just so beautiful, even when you're crying." she said with a shy smile. Chikane looked at her with a kind of blank look, which only made the blonde blush harder. "I-I mean, they're always pretty, not just when you're crying! Of course I don't like for you to cry! Um...I don't like when you're sad, it's just that it's kind of cute when you show your feelings. B-but not that it's cute that you're sad! I mean you—but you're always pretty! Um...well that is…" Chikane watched as her sister tripped over her words, getting more and more flustered with every time she spoke. She just couldn't stop talking, but she seemed to embarrass herself further with each sentence, and her face was now flushed scarlet.  
Chikane smiled to herself as she watched the blonde cast her gaze about the floor, trying to stop herself from saying more embarrassing things. "Himeko..." she interrupted her sister's tirade of praise and she finally looked up, stopping mid-sentence, eyes wide in flustered silence.

"Thank you Himeko." she said. Himeko gave a small squeak of affirmation, but continued to bore a hole in the floor with her stare. Chikane giggled at the expense of her sister's flustering, and thought about how cute Himeko looked when she's embarrassed. She took her sister's hand warmly causing her to look up finally. She gave Himeko a bright smile and then tugging gently on her hand said, "Come on, and let's go take a bath. We haven't together in a while." She began leading up the stairs to their room and Himeko followed along in her step, still red faced from her embarrassing babbling. They walked down the hallway, still holding each others hand, and then Chikane turned her head and said, "I'll go draw the water, so you can go shower first, okay?" Himeko nodded sheepishly in agreement; but she felt happy to take a bath with Chikane like they used to. It reminded her of when they would have lots of fun when they were children. "Okay that's fine, then please excuse me." and she left for the shower to go undress. Chikane proceeded towards the bath and began to fill it with warm water. Then she put just a bit of soap in under the flowing water because she knew that Himeko liked the bubbles. She let out a small chuckle to herself. Himeko really was just too adorable sometimes.

* * *

Himeko let the cool droplets of water patter against her burning skin.  
She felt so excited and yet relieved at the same time; even though Chikane had only been gone a couple days, it always felt like forever to her. Forever and a day even. She hated when her sister was away, even for these short periods of time, but it wasn't really that much of a problem...most of the time. She could manage usually, but there were a few occasions since then…that night. Himeko's mind was forced to wander back to the first time, to that one night, in her sister's bed when it first began and she—"No!" Himeko tried to make her mind blank when she was suddenly taken by that train of thought. She felt a terrible burn of embarrassment course through her, and turned the shower colder. But the damage was done; her subconscious compelled her to wander back to the first experience of her strange...illness. Memory of the surging emotions caused her body to warm up with a shameful heat, but she didn't really even know why. She couldn't place the cause of her sudden bouts of misery that she had experienced a few times since then. She had told her sister about it, and her twin seemed quite concerned and urged her to maybe see a doctor, but Himeko didn't think it was that simple. Chikane tended to blow things out of proportion when it had anything to do with her, and although she appreciated her sister's concern, for some reason she didn't think it was something that was physically wrong with her body. She also didn't want to have to burden Chikane with worrying about her. No, she didn't feel like seeing a doctor.

A psychiatrist maybe.

All the blond girl knew was that she didn't like being alone, and that she had felt much better that night with the aroma of her sister drifting around her. Standing with her eyes closed against the water, she couldn't help but recall the basking feel of Chikane's sheets that she'd slumbered in. At that time, she felt absolutely—"No No No! That was—that—wasn't..." she whispered loudly to herself, but even in her thoughts she wasn't even sure what exactly it was she was trying to dissuade herself of. "I was...sick then, that's all…" But the memory of that one night was still nibbling away at her subconscious. She thrust her face into the aquatic torrent that cascaded from the shower head, the water now frigid to keep her from thinking of any more unnecessary things. "Sick for you…" Himeko decided it was time to get out of the shower.

She turned the water off and just stood for a bit, tiny shivering rivulets trickling down the contours of her feminine form, making small sounds as they dripped off. Himeko wrapped a towel around her midsection and let the moisture on her be cooled by the air. Her normality had returned after getting out, and she was able to let it float back into the recesses of her subconscious. She didn't bother putting her hair up in any fashion since they were about to take a bath, and so she walked slowly around the wall to where her sister was waiting by the bath, but she didn't seem to notice. Seeing that Chikane still wasn't aware of her presence, Himeko took small silent steps and made her way to stand against the wall behind the blue haired girl. Himeko sighed quietly, thankful that the rushing sound of the bath faucet echoed throughout the bathroom. For some reason she felt that if it were quiet, Chikane might take notice of her briskly beating heart.

As Chikane was waiting for the bath to nearly finish, she heard her twin getting out of the shower; it hadn't taken too long. She waited a few more minutes for the bath to finish filling with pleasant water and rainbow tinted bubbles. For a little while she gazed at a single bubble, watching the mesmerizing multi-colored haze swim over its orb surface. Seeing that the tub was full after a moment, she twisted the pink faucet off and was about to prepare to take her turn in the shower next. She flexed her long, graceful legs to stand up and saw that Himeko was standing against the wall.

"Oh Himeko you're finished, I didn't hear you come in" she said smiling. Himeko gave a small smile back, hugging her towel close to herself. "Yup, all clean now. You can go ahead Chikane…" Her twin obliged and went to the other section of the bathroom to get in the shower. Himeko exhaled with a small relief that no sign of the effects of her recollections had been shown on her face. Just as she did, she heard Chikane's gently voice call pleasantly from the other side, and she tensed back up a bit. "You can get in the tub first Himeko, don't wait up for me!" the blonde took the invitation gladly and stepped carefully across to the large bath that her sister had drawn, watching to not slip on the wet floor. As she leaned down to the edge of the bath to feel the steaming water and saw that it was nicely heated, Himeko released her grasp on the soft towel and allowed the pure white fabric to slither down her feminine form, uncloaking her petite body and falling to coil at her dainty feet. Immediately sensitive to the cool dampness Himeko stepped one foot slowly down into the oasis, adjusting rapidly to the satisfying warmth. She slipped all the way in, and lowered herself further to sit completely in the bubbly water. The aquatic embrace helped to relax her a little, and Himeko was trying to clear the last of her previous thoughts from her mind. When she thought she had tranquilized her thoughts adequately, she reclined into the bath and closed her eyes. Her composure was short lived however, as she heard her sister getting out of the shower. Without delay her nerves returned to her, and she started humming quietly to herself to distract from everything. She heard Chikane's footsteps pat softly through the steam-filled room, and she saw her sister walking towards the bath with a clean white towel identical to her own wrapped loosely around her slender body. As she walked up to the bath, she looked at Himeko and smiled easily.

Then, Himeko felt something. A familiar sensation rushed through her frame as she watched her sister's towel slide away and down her lithe figure. The feeling was different than usual though; it typically only came when she was alone and her heart would twinge and she felt aching pain. This time however, her "illness" had somehow transformed itself into a throbbing, heady sensation, practically the opposite of the normal emotion she experienced. Nonetheless, the same essence was at the core of this confusing, light-headedness as when she felt it the first night…

Taking a bath together no longer seemed to be a very good idea to Himeko.


	5. Chapter 5

_**"Sometimes you have to be apart from the people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes it makes you love them more. But love is a fragile thing…"**_

Himeko was helpless not to stare. She felt helpless to do anything right then, as her sister stood at the side of the bath arranging her damp azure tresses over one shoulder, and then the other. Sinking as far under the surface as she could while still breathing, Himeko snapped her gaze away from her twin before she had noticed, and quickly found a distraction in large mound of bubbles floating closely. She wasn't _actually_ admiring Chikane's slim figure. She was just feeling light-headed from the heat of the water, _not_ her sister's intolerably striking form. Not at all. Himeko's mind _definitely_ wasn't reeling with confusion or buckling under the pressure of several conflicting emotions; and she _absolutely_ wasn't glaringly tempted to sneak more glances at her twin sister's precious body. Himeko was sure of that. She couldn't be—she just—couldn't…

_Oh my god…_

The time it took for Chikane to disrobe and get into the bath seemed to stretch into impossibly longer moments for Himeko as she tried to busy herself with her own diversion. When the elder girl had finished tidying her hair the way she wanted it, she finally let her towel fall to the floor, and tenderly submersed one foot into the bath on the side opposite from her sister, seemingly not aware of her distress. Chikane eased herself slowly into the warmth of the bath water and sighed contentedly at its relaxing pleasure. Meanwhile, Himeko was trying desperately to sort and contend with the sudden barrage of sentiments she was feeling. Her…condition…it didn't do this earlier. It had never caused such a reaction from Chikane's presence before…not like this. The few occasions she recalled it happening was in fact from her sister's _absence, _not from any sort of deeper emotion. Why? Why was this happening now? How could it happen?

_Calm down! _She thought urgently to herself. _"If I act all weird now Chikane will think something is wrong! What am I thinking anyway? She isn't—she's just—we're sisters! I don't think about her like—like—I'm just tired that's all…yeah, that's it. Chikane got home late so I was just worrying and that made me tired…I'm just glad she's okay and that were together…nothing more." _ She tried convincing herself of all this and she almost believed it too.

There was however, that piece; that piece of sharpened _something_ deep inside her heart that she felt when her sickness showed itself and she was alone. It was this small piece that wasn't content with Himeko's excuses. It was the tiny sliver that wasn't recognizable as anything yet, but brooded in a muted cage. It was tapping on the doors of reason that she locked it away behind but; nonetheless, its echoes reverberated into being heard…if only faintly for now. In the end, Himeko convinced her conscious self that her confusion and slight light-headedness were simply and purely physiological, and managed to spend the rest of that evening in relative peace…for a time.

* * *

"This doesn't make any sense…"

"_Of course it does…you're denying what you know to be true…"_

"I—I'm—there's nothing to know…I…I don't know anything"

"_Liar. You know what it is; why it bothers you so…"_

"….no…I—there's something wrong with me… I mean there's nothing wrong! I—I'm fine… I'm…..sick…"

"_Yes…yes you are. Sick for her—Sick for Chi-"_

"I'm not!…that's wrong…..I—I can't be…she's just…she's there for me…..when I'm alone…"

_"More like you feel alone when she is not there…by your side."_

"That's not true! I-I just feel better when she's here…."

_"Do you truly believe that? You know better; you know that there is something more about how you are underneath…" _

"I-I don't know what I feel…this illness…this sickness…I don't know!"

_"How long can you deny it? Ever since that first night…there was some feeling…a feeling more than what a sister would share…and that is why it hurts so much. You find comfort in her, but more than simple comfort…" _

"What do I…how can…no, that's not right! I'm so confused…"

_"Then stop drowning yourself in denial! Tell yourself the truth….how you feel…about—" _

"I can't! There's nothing to tell anyway…I—we're sisters. And that's it…we-we'll never be anything else…."

_"…and that's why…I feel this way…because I want us to be something more…because it hurts to be apart…oh, Chikane…I'm so sick for you…"_

* * *

Himeko felt herself being granted access to consciousness. She woke up, but her eyes remained closed shut, and she felt moisture behind them. It was night still. She closed her eyes tighter and felt the few tears run over the warm skin on her face, leaving their strange trails of salt upon it, and down to seep into the pillow below. She gently opened her eyes, but it was still night-time, and the room was dark. The blonde girl tugged her blanket over her face and simple laid on her side in the calm shadows. Within her though, the thoughts of her dreams were roiling at the forefront of her mind. The dream was strange, because she felt like another person was there, talking to her; but it was herself. Her own desperately sheltered emotions had finally drawn themselves out of their bondage, and in her dream they collided with the thoughts she had used to keep them at bay. But they had won. And Himeko could not truly deny herself them any longer.

Himeko slowly pulled the cover from over her face, and adjusted her body to look across the dark room, to the girl sleeping just feet away. The blonde girl, even though she couldn't see shapes and colors in the shadows of the night, could just make out the form of her twin sister slumbering peacefully by the subtle glow of a pale moon. Himeko knew that beneath the veil of sleep, that beautiful girl was blissfully unaware of the twisted feelings she harbored for her. She knew that it would be wrong, and that she could not burden her with the guilt of confession. Himeko felt a wave of many emotions come tumbling from her heart as small pieces broke from it; the comfort from her sister's presence, the confusion that accompanied it, the anxiety it brought her to realize her other feelings, and the strangest and most frightening of them all.

_I…I can't be in love with you…Chikane…I mustn't…_

* * *

"Are you feeling alright, Himeko?" the blonde girl reacted to the sound of her name and looked up from where she had been staring at the ground as she walked. She turned her head to see her sister giving her an inquisitive look, and quickly realized that she had not said anything to Chikane all morning. They were walking to school together, as they always did, but Himeko felt almost detached from reality. There was nothing she could do that didn't summon memories of her dream, or the feelings it came to. And that was weeks ago. She realized she had been silent while they were walking, so she gave Chikane a bright smile so nothing would seem wrong. "Oh, it's nothing Chikane, just daydreaming I suppose." Himeko felt her heart sink though at the fact that she had to lie to her sister. But there could be no hint. There could be no suspicion of anything out of the ordinary. The long-haired girl changed her expression to a sincere and beautiful smile as well, to mimic the blonde's false one. "Okay, good then. Himeko, you know you can tell me anything you want, right? I'll always be here to listen." As the blue-eyed beauty said this, she smiled again and took the blonde girl's hand in her own in an affectionate gesture. Then in the next instant, the pulsating beat in Himeko's chest skipped at least two or three beats in reaction to her sister grasping her hand. She felt muscles inside her body tense, and her pulse became eccentric. Although it hadn't been noticeable enough for Chikane to recognize, the blonde girl reacted in such a way anytime her sister got close or touched her anymore.

It was almost as if she thought that if her sister touched her then she would somehow decipher what had been bothering her for the past five months. Of course that was unlikely, but Himeko couldn't help but feel the anxiety rise within her when her twin got too close. That was how long ago it was that Himeko had apprehended her affections for the blue beauty. She felt it so strongly that she found it hard to believe that the azure haired girl could not. Himeko could practically feel the tangible presence of her emotions radiating from where their hands were interlocked, being forced to return the action with a nature pose, lest her sister sense something was amiss. Honestly; could Chikane not hear the pounding of her heart against her bones? She was sure that if it were any stronger, people on the street would hear it and stare. But her sister evidently suspected nothing. She knew nothing. Free of the barrier it placed between them. When they finally reached the school and Chikane slowly let go of Himeko's hand to see to her student council duties, Himeko was…uncomfortable to say the least.

Himeko no longer experienced the painful episodes of her 'illness' anymore. Well, at least she thought that they were over; although the distressing occurrences had ceased for a while, they had been replaced with a new manifestation of the stress. Now, instead of traumatic episodes resulting from the need to be near Chikane, the girl experienced exasperating bouts of anxiety whenever they were in private together. Her heart was no longer troubled by her sister's mere absence; it was avidly attempting to satisfy its hunger for the elder beauty.

* * *

_**A door—**_

_"No…don't open..." _

_**A bathroom door—**_

_"…shouldn't…looking at…ikane-chan" _

_**Hot steam—an angelic figure, a hazy body enticing to come closer—**_

_"Stop…ot like that...I'm not in lo…Chikane-chan…" _

_**She turns her limber form to the door-the fog is barely thick enough to veil the woman's gorgeous— **_

_*-miya-san?*_

"Himemiya-san?" Himeko heard a girl's voice say her name which shook her out of yet another day-dream she had been having, this time during her afternoon history class. "Himemiya-san? Are you feeling alright?" Still bemused by the content of her dream, Himeko couldn't think very clearly and responded to the voice-"Chikane-chan?" She heard a small giggle... "No, no Himemiya-san, it's Kazeyama, and the end of class." Himeko sat all the way up and rubbed the noon's nap out of her eyes, and looking clearly now, saw that it was one of the girls in her class that she was friends with. Kazeyama Shinobu was standing next to her desk with a gentle smile on her face, evidently amused and unsurprised at Himeko's nap time during class. Himeko's face flushed pink after realizing what she had said because of her dream. "Oh Kazeyama-san, I'm sorry I was—er…" but she didn't exactly know what to say. "That's alright" Shinobu smiled saying this. "Do you want to go to the tea shop today since we have the rest of the day, Himemiya-san?" Himeko felt some of the last bits of her nap melt away and stood up gathering her things. At first, she was glad to perhaps have something to distract her from her own unreliable thoughts, and she was about to happily accept her friend's offer, but then remembered something else—"I'm sorry, but I can't today-I've got to make up the assignment that I failed for class…" the blonde said apologetically. The other girl looked just a little disappointed, but understanding. "Aw that's too bad Himemiya-san, I'll look forward to next time then. See you later!" and she took off from the classroom down another hallway. Himeko sighed a bit to herself; history was the worst.

* * *

Rigid. That was one word Himeko would have used to described herself now.

* * *

To be honest, Himeko had been evading Chikane as much as she possibly could while trying to keep her sister unaware of her designs. The violet-eye tried to make sure that she always had an adequate excuse to remove herself from any situation in which she would be alone with her bluenette sister. Naturally, living in the same room rendered her efforts in vain much of the time, and Himeko knew that it was only a matter of time before she would be confronted by Chikane. It was clear that her behavior was unusual to say the least, downright suspicious at the worst. Himeko tried to simply drift apart from her sister a bit more, to put distance between them, to put walls up around her, but it was hardly of use. Apparently Chikane was immune such trifling and petty obstacles. It didn't help any that Himeko didn't truly want to be away, it was just out of her terrified necessity.

Right now, slaving away at her desk on the work she needed to make up for school, she was glad at least that it was an adequate pretext to remove herself from her sister's frustrating company. At least it was, until…

_*Knock Knock* _it was at the bedroom door. "Himeko, I'm home. Are you studying in there? Do you want any help?" the voice said as its owner opened the door gently. Chikane stood in the doorway, awaiting the blonde girl's reply with the offer in her expression. Himeko simply kept her head turned towards her book, not turning around to meet her twin's question. She made a vague body gesture, "Oh, welcome home…no, that's alright Chikane. I can do it myself." She pretended to return to her studies. This was going to be the hardest part…

It happened all the time; the blonde would be doing her best to act as normal and occupied as she could, and the raven-haired beauty, in her infinite kindness and generosity would destroy all of her efforts with hardly a thought. All the tell-tale signs were there tonight: the gentle, tender voice; the kind offer; her quiet presence filling what had been an otherwise empty room; acting so—so—sisterly! Why couldn't Chikane just leave her alone?!

The elder girl strode in elegantly, as usual, to right behind where Himeko was sitting at her desk, and peered over her left shoulder to see more clearly what her younger blonde sister was working on.

"Himeko, aren't you working on Japanese history?" she asked in an inquisitive tone.

Himeko shifted.

"Yes, I have to catch up on studying…" she offered. Chikane said nothing for a moment, but remained watching over her shoulder.

Then, "But isn't this your worst subject?" with the same light-toned voice.

Himeko blushed a bit and made another note on the paper, praying that Chikane didn't notice her face.

"Y-yeah, it is…" she responded in her own girlish voice. Then Chikane leaned a bit against the blonde's chair-

"Then why don't you let me help? I know you might not like this class, but it will be easier if we study together."

She suggested it so convincingly that Himeko was highly distracted and nearly tempted to the offer. Chikane was so close...But she kept her expression blank and occupied.

"No really, it's alright. I'm fine by myself…" Her words came out level, but they seemed to drag a deeper weight with them as she heard herself say them.

_What a lie…_

And Himeko was a terrible liar at that. Almost everyone that knew her was aware of how bad she typically was at telling a direct lie. Chikane most of all, unfortunately. Then, the blonde felt weight shift on the back of her chair and then—a slender hand resting across on her other shoulder. Himeko made an accidental scratch through some of her notes but refused to remove her gaze from her desk. Chikane bent down with her head tilted just a bit to one side, right next to the younger girl, and rested her other hand on her sister's arm...

"Himeko, you've been sort of...distant lately. Is there something wrong? You know that you can tell me anything, right?"

It wasn't as if Himeko didn't know it would happen sooner or later. She just hoped it would always be later…

Make peace,

/Souji/


	6. Chapter 6

**_"Love courses as a river, like Waters swiftly dart; it brings a warm protection, like Fire in your heart._**

**_Love can leave you breathless, a storm of Winds inside; yet anything more precious,_**

**_on all the Earth, you'll never find." ~Souji_**

There was silence.

The blonde girl had stopped scratching in her notebook, and the young woman behind her seemed intent on receiving a response from her. There was the sound of some cicadas on the night air, chirping unconcernedly at the goings-on around them. A small clock on one of the bedside tables ticked. It kept a subtle and monotonous beat. Himeko could hear one more thing though; that pounding organ behind her lungs which was pulsing to a separate, erratic rhythm in her ears, but which no one else could notice.

But there was mostly silence.

And then it was softly broken; the disturbance was in fact so delicate and quiet, that it hardly broke the silence at all. It was more like the quivering voice responsible for it was simply slipping through a gap in the silence, afraid of what else it might shatter.

And so she spoke. "Chikane...do you really mean that?"

The elder girl was faintly confused at the question. "What are you talking about, Himeko? Is something wrong?" She asked earnestly. She was leaning down now next to her sister's desk, so that their faces were the same level, and close so she could hear the small, shaking voice. But the girl sitting at the desk simply stared down at her hands in her lap, which were near to trembling. Chikane looked with worry at her sister's face, wishing she would return even a glance, but she waited patiently for her to speak in her own time. Whatever it was, Chikane was sure that she would find a way for it to be better…no matter what it was…

After a few moments, Himeko took a breath in, and then out, feeling as if she had been holding it in for the longest time. She was about to turn to face her sister's gaze, but the instant she looked to her peripherals to see her, all her courage wavered and she remained with her face fixed down. So she started again. "Chikane, do you truly mean that? What you just said…I can…tell you anything?" Himeko's voice was somewhere between hopeful and nervous. Chikane listened to her words, and then lit up with a tender smile. "Himeko…of course you can. You know that you can tell me anything. I'll understand anything you want to say…I'll always be here for you. Please…just tell me what's bothering you…" Just as she said this, Chikane shifted herself to kneel in front of Himeko's chair, placing a smooth hand on her also; touching her cheek affectionately and guiding Himeko's face to her own, so that there was no way for Himeko to not be looking at her. And so Himeko did. She looked up, and into smooth, luminous, cerulean blue eyes; eyes that were pleading to help. She could feel that piercing gaze, begging to carry and share her distress.

Any restraint she previously harbored was lost.

Himeko had spent so long trying to avoid her. So long trying to make believe that there was nothing wrong with her. So long trying to pretend that she wasn't pushing Chikane away from herself. So long trying to convince both herself and Chikane that her sickness was gone…that she was cured. She wanted it to seem to simply fade away, like a passing season; it never did. It never could. So, confronted with her deception, and unable to suffer having it gnaw away inside any longer, Himeko started to speak again…

"…Chikane…" She addressed the blue haired girl in front of her, trying to keep her meek voice from wavering too much. Although she was facing her, the blonde couldn't bring her violet eyes to meet her sister's own sapphire ones.

"Yes…Himeko…" she said with the gentlest acknowledgement.

Himeko continued slowly, all too conscious of what the consequences of her confession would be. She shifted, and then…

"I-I still have…I'm…it's been hurting me again—I'm sick Chikane…" Himeko's voice broke with her last few words, and she finally looked Chikane in the eyes, but her own were at the precipice of tears. It was just too much for her…Her twin stared back into her amethyst eyes with pain. She began to respond. "Oh Himeko…why didn't you tell me? I thought that you…I thought it had gone…I neve—" But she was cut off-

"For you."

Silence.

"What?" Chikane looked up at her sister with genuine confusion. "For me? Are you saying it's my fault, Himeko? Was it something that I did? Please tell me! What did I—" But again, she was stopped. Himeko tried to hold her sister's gaze long enough to finish what she had to say, but it was too difficult. There was too much willingness to help in her eyes; too much penitence, too much remorse, for something she was not responsible for. Himeko pushed against the floor and slid her chair away from her sister. She stood up and turned away from the girl kneeling on the ground, walking toward her bed. Chikane stood up also, her expression still guilt ridden, despite not knowing what it was she had seemingly inflicted on her beloved twin…her precious sister…

"No, Chikane it wasn't your fault…it's just…it—it's just _because_ of you that I'm like this…" She could feel tears start to burn beneath. But Chikane still felt like she was in the dark. She still didn't understand what Himeko was trying to say.

"Himeko…like what? Please…you know that no matter what you do, or who you are, or how you feel, I'll always love you…" she spoke softly. Chikane paused for just a moment.

"Don't you…love me?"

Himeko almost choked on her seizing breath. She felt nothing but agony at her sister's words. Chikane had no idea. None at all. Her sister…her twin…she had no idea what kind of torture it was to hear her whisper those words; to tempt her with that hope, not realizing it would inevitably be dashed in an instant. Himeko felt the first of the salty droplets fall from her eyes; no matter what she did she couldn't hold them. It was like trying to stop the rain.

"No…stop it Chikane…please don't—"

"It's the truth, Himeko! I'm your sister, I'll be here for you…" the blue haired beauty took only a few steps toward the blonde who still had her back to her, before—

"Please stop…you don't understand, Chikane…I love you…" she choked on another sob.

"Himeko, I—"

"But my love is different from yours Chikane! This pain I feel when I'm alone…when you're not here with me—it's miserable. But the kind of love—my love—it's different. It's strange…but I can't help it!"

Chikane was silent. She didn't know what to say. Himeko swallowed her sob, and turned to face her. Wiping a tear away…

"Chikane, I don't love you like a sister should…and I don't _want _to! I-I want to do things that…and-and…I'm sorry!" she let it out with a cry, and fell into her sister's arms, clutching onto her shoulders and burying her tear-stained face in Chikane's shirt, once again crying without restraint. Chikane caught her shaking body, and held her closely in her arms, thinking of nothing. Her mind had gone blank. This…this couldn't be happening; it was some sort of cruel joke being played by someone. Was Himeko trying to say that she was…she was…in love with her?

* * *

Chikane held her in her arms tenderly, letting her sister release her pent-up anxiety and tears. She held Himeko warmly, softly stroking her fair golden hair, with soothing motions. Then gently—

"Himeko…can you listen to me?" she said, while still holding her tightly. Himeko's tears had subsided a little, but she still shook from the tremors. She only nodded against her sister's chest again.

"Please don't cry Himeko…you-you've done nothing wrong. Truly, it really is my fault…I'm sorry that you had to go through this…I-I just…never knew that you felt this way about me…"

Himeko looked up with an expression of sadness.

"No, it's not Chikane's fault! I just-I never wanted to have to burden you with this…these feelings-" but Chikane interrupted her thoughts.

"Himeko, please don't say that…don't say that ever…" she whispered, tilting her head down as her lustrous blue bangs fell to shadow her face.

"But Chikane, I-"

The elder twin jolted her face back up to come centimeters away from the other girl's, and burst out with tears streaming down her face—

"Why do think that I wanted you to tell me how you feel, Himeko? Why do you think I wanted to walk you to school every time I had the chance? Why do you think I refused to sleep in a different room than you? Why did you think I insisted on helping you study when you said you didn't need it? Why do you think I've been dying for you to let me back in, to get past these walls you've put up around yourself?" Chikane said all this, and embraced her sister closely, resting her head over her shoulder. But Himeko didn't expect these to be the questions her sister was asking. She didn't understand why-

"Chikane-I didn't-"

"I've never wanted to be apart from you Himeko…ever. And I never want you to keep your feelings from me either; I want to have your burdens as my own, I want your pains, so I can take them away. I always wanted to be by your side, and be yours alone…I just never thought—I never dreamed you would feel the same way about me…I-I thought for sure that you…you would hate me for it…I'm so happy."

And at this, Himeko was stunned beyond belief.

When she heard Chikane say those words, Himeko sat up from against her sister's chest and gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Now shethought this was some kind of trick. Did Chikane just say—? Was she—? Chikane felt the same way…about her? Himeko stared wide-eyed at her, but Chikane simply gazed at her, smiling with all the happiness Himeko could possibly imagine on a person's face at one time. Tears were already streaming down the beautiful girl's face, as she made little effort to repress her emotions. Himeko was still hiccupping from crying, but stretched out one quaking hand towards Chikane's beautiful, tear-stained face. She wanted to make sure…She wanted proof that this was real; that it wasn't somehow a hallucination brought on by her illness, or an illusion or—

Her small hand touched warm, damp skin on Chikane's cheek. She looked at her sister, and diamond eyes looked right back.

It wasn't an illusion.

This was real. It was undeniably, miraculously, unbearably real. Himeko ran her fingers slowly down Chikane's delicate cheek, then brought her other hand to touch her also, cupping her sister's face with both hands as she tried to suppress her tears long enough to form a sentence, but was unsuccessful. As her twin was doing this, Chikane slowly let her eyes flutter shut, and nuzzled her face into one of Himeko's soft hands, never wanting to be lacking of her touch. Eventually, as Himeko sniffled away the last of her tears, she gently wiped a tear from Chikane's eyes. The bluenette took the girl's gentle hands in her own, drawing them from her face and holding them against her heart.

"Oh, Himeko..." she started. "…I'm so happy."

Himeko smiled, and also blushed a little at what she said. She was happy too; happier than she could ever remember being in he entire life. Everything felt right…but then, Himeko became very conscious of something that made her blush even harder. Chikane was holding onto her hands, and pressing them tight against her chest…

Suddenly, the glaring awareness of how close their bodies were struck Himeko like the flu. The feeling started rapidly building in her, multiplying every second. She tried to ignore it, but to no avail. Himeko looked away, and she found herself looking at Chikane's face. More accurately, her lips…her soft…sweet…tender looking lips—but she snapped out of it. Himeko was worried; Chikane had said that she loved her back…the same way. But how could she be sure? What if she didn't understand the intensity of Himeko's…desires? What if Chikane wasn't ready for what Himeko so desperately wanted? What she _n__eeded. _Himeko slowly pulled her hand from Chikane's grasp, and shifted away a bit, looking at the floor. She tried to hide the worry that was showing on her face, but she knew that her sister could see through it. Chikane looked at her, unsure of why she had pulled away, and started to ask-

"Himeko, what's wrong? If there's something else that's still bothering you…" she said it gently and comfortingly. Himeko looked back at her sister, knowing that she had to be sure of Chikane's feelings.

"Chikane I-...you said you love me...right?" she began, sounding nervous. Chikane smiled warmly and responded.

"Yes, I do love you Himeko. More than anyone…why?" she drew out the last sentence, and it made Himeko feel a shiver. But she continued…

"D-Do you love me enough to k-kiss me?" she stammered out.

* * *

She couldn't look at Chikane's face when she asked, it was just too embarrassing. But she didn't hear anything, and after not hearing any answer for a few seconds, Himeko began to think that her fears really were true. Her breath got caught in her throat; Chikane wasn't really—

But her thoughts were obliterated by a gentle touch on her cheek. Before she had time to react, Chikane cupped the blonde's face in both hands, and leaned in slowly to meet her trembling lips with her own luscious, divinely soft ones. Himeko was frozen, yet her brain was overheating.

The entire world stopped, but somehow the room felt like it was spinning.

Timed seemed to bend into infinity for Himeko as she felt her twin's molten-hot lips press ardently against her own. For just an instant, she could manage a reaction and gasped into Chikane's mouth, trying to make sure her heart didn't stop beating. Chikane shifted one hand and held it against the back of the blonde's neck, deepening the kiss. It was the most electrifying thing she had ever felt. The blue-haired beauty felt the delicate girl weakly returning the kiss, and was concerned whether she was going too fast for her; however, she didn't think she could stop now even if she wanted to. The blonde was simply too adorable, too irresistible, too…_everything! _She couldn't possibly have denied the girl's request longer than the milliseconds it took to travel to her ears. Chikane slipped her other arm underneath one of the girl's in front of her and pulled her even closer in an embrace, while continuing to press her lips breathlessly against hers.

Himeko had regained some of her senses from oblivion, and began to capitulate to the kiss, to the raw succulence of it. Neither of them ever wanted to part from the taste of the other's swollen lips as they continued on for several minutes, breathing mostly the air from each other's lungs, but eventually Himeko could no longer endure the lack of oxygen, and was forced to pull away. She sat back on the bed, her lips still parted as she drew heaving breaths into her lungs. She looked fervently into inflamed sapphire eyes, and they gazed thirstily back into her own violet pools…

* * *

_Make Peace, and Love_

_/Souji/_


	7. Chapter 7

**_"A love that survives in your heart like a song—passionate flames that have been there so long._**

**_For beauty will shine as the love that has fared—and only finds peace when your heart's been laid bare." ~Souji_**

_"Oh my god—" _she thought.

_"Oh my god…" _the other girl thought.

Himeko didn't know what expression she had on her face, but she was positive that she was blushing immensely and her skin was probably stained beyond any healthy shade of red. She simply sat, leaning on one hand supporting her upright on the bed, the other clutched on top of her chest, moving with the profound beating rhythm beneath it. Her mind was in a vaporous state; the kiss had drowned out her senses, and she had yet to regain them entirely. Her eyes finally came to rest again upon the stirringly exquisite lips she had tasted just seconds ago, and she felt the fog around her brain thicken and her mouth literally began to water.

_That was…my first kiss. The first real one…and it was with Chikane…" _Himeko though to herself, bothered from the heat invading her being. "_It was—so good. It felt so good…I could feel—I could taste Chikane's lips, so soft…I think they tasted like melon…just a little." _Although she was somewhat thunderstruck from the experience, her body was far quicker to recover from any shock, and Himeko felt herself revert to a state of need—Her desire had been answered momentarily, at long last—but after the loss of contact, it once again blazed up and burned in protest of its lack of contentment, yearning to be more thoroughly satisfied. She shifted uneasily on the bed, glancing quickly between Chikane's eyes and her still glistening lips. She wanted them again…

* * *

Chikane pulled back from the kiss, savoring her exhilaration, and hoping that she hadn't been to forward with her actions. Although she was now positive of what their feelings were for each other, and elated at the feeling, she also realized that Himeko would probably be at least a little hesitant about these things. But the connection felt so stirring; never in her life had she felt such satisfaction. But, it was all she needed just to know now that it was indeed what Himeko wanted; that Himeko loved her the same way she loved Himeko, so she shouldn't push her too fast into anything that she doesn't—

*_Whmmphf_*

The twin who had initiated the first kiss now found herself on her back, forced down onto the cushiony bedspread. She only let out a small gasp as a halo of golden strands tumbled down around her face. The flaxen strands fell from the girl's head in a cage of soft locks, making the space dim between Chikane's face and the one on top of her. Chikane tried to say something in response to the sudden action, but realized she had no words to say. It wasn't as if she disliked what was happening. Her voice began to catch in her throat as she began to process the sensations emanating from the body on top of her, and all else was eliminated from her consciousness. She was all too aware of Himeko's legs firmly straddling her hips. The scent of the girl's hair around her face perfumed the air at every breath, making her blush at the impression. For a little while, Chikane simply watched the blonde fixed her eyes on her lips, drinking in the sight and feel of her twin breathing heavily beneath her, and developing a warm sensation every passing moment. When the feeling of suddenness had passed from the moment though, Himeko said only one word.

* * *

"Chikane…"

Before her sister could conjure any verbal response, she promptly closed the distance between them, and pressed deeply against Chikane's vapid lips for a second time, her thighs closing even tighter against her hips. The blonde could feel the sensation, shivering inside her frame, and demanding gratification. This time however, the kiss wasn't nearly as sweet and gentle as the last; it had gained fire and need. Himeko could feel the girl beneath her move slightly to accommodate their position, bringing her arms to wrap gently around the blonde, the act of which only incensed the emotion inside of Himeko further. The younger girl didn't know anything about what she was doing; she had only just had her first kiss a few minutes ago! But nevertheless, she felt only one thing occupying her mind, and so she did whatever her body compelled her to. She broke away from the kiss suddenly, sitting upright and settling back on top of Chikane's thighs. The elder twin was left lying down on the bed with her arms to either side of her head, panting heavy breaths, and with glazing eyes. She began to ask her sister why she had stopped—

"Hah…hah…Himeko…what—" but she was interrupted by Himeko's sudden movement. Before she could think, she found both of her wrists firmly locked in Himeko's grasp and stretched over her head, unable to resist because of how much her body was numbed by the last kiss. Again she tried speaking-

"H-Himeko…I—" but alas she was rendered speechless because Himeko's lips had once again clamped over her own making her shiver, but her arms remained immobilized in Himeko's grasp. In addition, this time the kiss was emanating lust and desire more so than affection. Chikane felt her twin tightening her grip on her wrists, which she struggled only weakly against, and trembled when she began sucking seductively on her bottom lip. _How could Himeko be doing this to her?_ She questioned it vaguely in the back of her mind, but honestly didn't care about the answer. All that really mattered was—*_gasp_*

Himeko had suddenly begun grinding slowly over her hips, and every insignificant thought—every one that wasn't concerned with the caresses of girl on top of her—vanished. Chikane sighed hotly into the blonde's mouth, becoming ever more stimulated with each motion the blonde made. At this opportunity, Himeko slipped her tongue deftly between her lips, and began ravishing her sister's tongue tortuously, causing Chikane to moan helplessly into her mouth. She had no idea about what Himeko's condition entailed…

Himeko squirmed impatiently on top of the swimmer's well-toned body, seeking desperately to engage the kiss deeper and deeper; she was getting so utterly aroused that she felt more delirious every passing second; at the discovery of each and every crevice inside her sister's mouth she was sating her deep-seated wants. Her own tongue lashed within, seeking dominance, and she claimed her twin's lips relentlessly with torrid vigor in attempts to satisfy the physical yearning…but it wasn't enough. Not after so long. Not after so much time of letting her depravities go unanswered, and especially not when her cure, her medicine, was right beneath her and so very willing…she couldn't handle the need anymore. A possessing pressure had slowly been building up within her ever since Chikane walked into the room, and now that the one she loved was right before her, returning every kiss and breath, Himeko was no longer concerned with whether Chikane was ready or not. She was ready _now, _and so finally she relented from her twin's lips.

Blushing pink doused the girl's features, contrasting sensually with her shaded blue hair.

"Ha…hah…H-Himeko, I'm so glad…I'm with you…but can we take a break? I need to catch my breath…" Chikane exhaled the words laboriously.

But her younger twin didn't make any movement to let go of her wrists, nor free her from beneath her body. Chikane looked into her eyes to see if she had heard what she said, but upon this, discovered that the blonde's eyes no longer had the vibrant, amethyst gleam they usually exhibited; rather, a dewy burning violet danced before her. Those same eyes that were usually so cheerful, so innocent, now looked almost…carnal.

"Himeko…"

* * *

"Chikane…I'm not…I can't…" the blonde tried again to contain herself, but had to break their gaze, and stared away at the one last hope of regaining control of her desires. The girl under her was confused though.

_"What does she mean she can't? Is she saying…?" _Chikane's thoughts began fleeting to horrible possibilities, but she shook them away.

"Himeko, what?-What do you mean?" she questioned, praying that she hadn't done something wrong. But the blonde continued.

"Chikane, I can't…I can't take it anymore. I-I'm so hot…I want you…now..._right now_, Chikane! I don't think I can wait anymore…" she stammered out between uneven breaths. She practically glared back into Chikane's eyes, but her twin's only response was to blush painfully at her confession. She had not expected this at all, and realized with mixed feelings of relief and anxiety that she wasn't sure exactly what her sister wanted.

"Himeko, do you mean that you-"

"Yes! Right now!" she cried earnestly. "I need you _now_…It-It's so hot Chikane! Oh, please…didn't you say that you love me, Chikane?" she said with a pleading voice. Her twin hardly knew how to respond when Himeko asked her that. It was just too sudden—she didn't feel prepared to go so far, _right now!_

"Of course I do Himeko! I just…I-I don't know if I'm really…" she shifted her eyes to the side to momentarily distract herself from her sister's piercing gaze, and think of a way to calm the rapidly escalating situation. "Why don't we just—"

But it seemed that the blonde's request was not actually a request at all; it was simply a polite demand. Chikane's opinion didn't really register anymore. Himeko didn't actually hear her sister's reply anyway; her mind had gone into a kind of panic mode due to the strain of trying to repress the desires of her aroused state. All of her wanted Chikane so badly—and her body was _so HOT. _Chikane made a couple of nervous attempts at slowing their momentum, but the blonde suspended her qualms by simply kissing her silent any time she tried to speak. Any words the bluenette may have said were drowned out of her head by the kiss, which she had no choice but to surrender to. It was simply no use trying to make any resistance to Himeko's lips. They were exquisite.

Himeko was no longer waiting for any sort of permission; she was past any objection. The blonde tore her lips from her twin's, and with labored breathing, sat up and began frantically unbuttoning the top of her blouse. However, her impatience left her frustrated at only the second button, so she simply yanked the entire piece of clothing over her head. Finally free of it, Himeko took a deep breath to cool her restless body, and let the article descend to the floor, not giving it another thought. She leaned down so as to be on all fours overtop of Chikane, with her chest pressing close against hers. Her twin let out another small gasp.

"Hi-Himeko! I—not so suddenly…" she tried to speak with defiance, but the words lacked any of the intended feeling. Regardless, Himeko paid her sister's meager objections no heed and continued to seek the fulfillment she now craved. She reached down and began to unbutton her sister's shirt, while the girl simply lay there without resistance. After a time, Himeko had completed her task and Chikane lay on the bed nervously with her shirt open, revealing her lithe swimmer's body which was flushed pink with nervousness, and her snow-white bra covering her ample chest. Himeko hardly slowed her pace. She began stripping Chikane of one article after another, all the while inhaling the vision of her sister's increasingly delectable figure.

"Chikane…" A skirt fell to the floor.

"Oh Chikane…" Her left stocking was tossed away, forgotten immediately. Then her right. Then her—

Chikane suddenly grasped her sister's restless hands, interrupting her for an instant.

"Himeko!" she started. The blonde gazed back into her eyes, her chest heaving with anticipation. She struggled lightly against her sister's grip.

"Ch-Chikane, please don't ask me to stop…I can't anymore Chikane…" she whined. Then abruptly, her protests were abated by a soft kiss being placed upon her lips. Himeko responded quickly to it, but it did nothing to calm her raging desires. The kiss ended as suddenly as it had started though, and Himeko looked intently back at her twin. Chikane turned her face away, blushing blood red, and stammered out-

"Himeko, just...b-be gentle with me please…" The bluenette glanced back at her twin, hoping that her acceptance of Himeko's urging would cause her to slow down, at least a little. She was mistaken.

Himeko heard the words her sister was saying, but all that registered in her clouded mind afterwards was a throbbing, beating pulse of arousal. "_Be gentle with me please…" _that's what Chikane had said. That was all the invitation she needed. Ironically, her sister's words had driven her to want to be anything but gentle; she eagerly pressed her twin down again onto her back, which elicited a small sound from her, and without hesitation slipped the girl's bra up and over her head, wresting it from her body. Chikane turned her head away, blushing as deeply as she ever had. Without waiting for any response, the blonde made similar work of the remainder of her own garments.

Now, finally together and bearing themselves wholly to one another, the two sisters hesitated just barely to absorb the present moment. Himeko pressed her feminine figure amorously to her twin's womanly body, and began seducing her sister's tongue with her own. She kindled the sparks leaping within her, as well as the other girl's body. Then slowly, Himeko retreated from the heavenly lips of her remedy, and let her own tenderly probe down her twin's jaw line and to her neck, gracing each inch with a sensuous graze of her tongue as well.

"Haaa…oh Himeko…" she heard her sister's sighs and continued her eager kisses and nibbles over the rest of her supple body. The blonde ran her tongue down Chikane's heaving chest, between the valley of her breasts, causing her to exhale sharply at the promising gesture. Enjoying seeing the pleasure her sister evidently received from her ministrations, Himeko wanted to have more of it. By this time, her center was wound tight as a spring, and she knew that Chikane's body was burning for more and ready as well. Himeko saw that she was right when she placed the tip of a finger against her sister's moist core, and knew that her own was also wet with throbbing arousal.

"H-Himeko…Ahhh! D-don't touch there, it's—haaa…ahhhn…" Chikane moaned. "I-It…it feels good…ahhh…"

Himeko rubbed up and down Chikane's core with her palm, building the pressure within her as she grinded her own against Chikane's thigh.

"Nnngh—ne, Chikane…is it good? Are you feeling good?" she panted out. Chikane only moaned in response. She was feeling so good that she never wanted it to stop. Her slit was now glistening with the traces of her arousal, while Himeko continued grinding and rubbing her body with zealous effort. The blue haired twin had drunk deeply from the fountain of lust; the blonde however, was swimming in it.

"Himeko! Himeko! D-Don't stop, please don't stop!"

"Oooo…Chikane! It's so good, it feels so good!"

"Oh gods Himeko keep going…k-keep going…"

"Chikane! Aah! Aah! Aahn!"

Both were rapidly approaching their limits—Himeko sated her sister's throbbing sanctuary with her fingers, and her own by stimulating the friction more and more against Chikane's thigh.

"Oh gods…oh gods…Himeko! I-I can't…I'm starting to feel strange…ahhh!" The swimmer was clutching onto the sheets of the bed desperately.

"Nggh! Chikane! Say you love me Chikane! Say that you'll love me like this forever!" the blonde cried out, almost in tears from the charged sensations.

"Yes, I-I love you Himeko! Alwa-ahhn! I'll always be yours…hah…hah…keep going…"

An electric shock. A coiled spring snapping. The girl lying down on the bed felt the shock. And the girl on top of her felt the break.

* * *

_Years Later_

A sparrow hawk soared low between the faces of the mountains in the distance, looking small against the vastness of sky. The valley that was cradled within the range, with its oceans of flowers, remained quiet and peaceful. The hillside shimmered magnificently with its newly bloomed blue flowers reaching as far as one could see, and the sun shining radiantly on the last of the dewdrops made the entire world sparkle like a cerulean tide washing over the landscape. On a hill near the forest of the valley, two figures lay in the grass, entwined in each other's arms, sleeping beneath the sun. One of them, with hair reflecting the golden light, stirred in slumber. Her face was nestled into the other's neck, her arms enveloping the girl's torso as she rested her weight on top of it. She shifted within her unconsciousness state and murmured a muffled word. A name. The other, with lustrous raven-dark strands, felt the motion and heard the sound even while sound asleep under the comfortable pressure of her lover's body. Her cheek lay against the blonde's head, while one arm rested beside her head, and the other embraced her securely. Both had their legs intertwined with the other, and their bodies were pressed close. As the small voice reached elder one's ears, her body instinctively reacted and she held the girl in her arms even tighter. The younger one returned the gesture of her body.

Neither awoke.

The blonde smiled in her sleep, and the other sighed a small breath.

They were having the same dream of each other.

And, what was once her illness, was now her cure.

Make peace, and love

/Souji/

* * *

Thus the story ends


End file.
